India’s Anju and Harshita won a silver medal each as India bagged four medals at the 2024 Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishek, Kyrgyzstan on Sunday.
Anju, who had defeated the experienced Vinesh Phogat in the national trials to qualify for the continental championships, lost to North Korea’s Ji Hyang Kim in the women’s 53kg gold medal bout by technical superiority as she failed to register a single point in the contest.
Earlier, Anju had defeated China’s Chun Lei 9-6 in the semi-finals, after registering two consecutive technical superiority wins over Philippines’ Aliah Rose Gavalez and Sri Lanka’s Nethmi Ahinsa Fernando in the first two rounds.
Meanwhile, Harshita went down to China’s Qian Jing 2-5 in the women’s 72kg gold medal bout.
The Indian had conceded just three points enroute her run to the final but struggled to match the Chinese grappler in the Chinese contest.
Harshita had earlier defeated Ozoda Zaripboeva of Uzbekistan (13-3) and Nastassiya Panassovich of Kazakhstan (5-0) in the first two rounds.
Bronze for Manisha, Antim
India’s Manisha (62kg) and Antim Kundu (65kg) won the other two medals for India on Sunday as they brought home a bronze medal each.
Manisha, who lost to Japan’s Sakura Motoki 0-3 in the semi-finals, pinned Arian Geralin Carpio in the bronze medal bout for a victory by fall. The Indian was leading 5-0 when she pinned her opponent.
Kundu, meanwhile, was pinned by Japan’s Mahiro Yoshitake in the semi-finals. She was trailing 0-6 when the bout ended.
The Indian then pocketed the bronze medal with her opponent Soobin Kim withdrawing from bout with an injury.
The four medals on Sunday takes India’s tally to six in the women’s events.